Nolan Richardson

Nolan Richardson (born December 27, 1941)

Teams coached: Tulsa Golden Hurricane, Arkansas Razorbacks
Tulsa record: 119-37 (.763)
Arkansas record: 390-170 (.696)
Overall record^: 509-207 (.711)

Career Accomplishments:

• NCAA National Championships:  1  (1994)
• NCAA Tournament Appearances:  16  (1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001)
• NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  6  (1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996)
• NCAA Tournament Final Four:  3  (1990, 1994, 1995)
• NIT Championships:  1  (1981)   
• NIT Appearances:  4  (1981, 1983, 1987, 1997)
• SEC Regular Season Champion:  4  (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995)
• Southwest Regular Season Champion:  3  (1989, 1990, 1991)
• Missouri Valley Regular Season Champion:  2  (1984, 1985)
• SEC Tournament Champion:  1  (2000)
• Southwest Tournament Champion:  3  (1989, 1990, 1991)
• Missouri Valley Tournament Champion:  2  (1982, 1984)

Awards:

• Naismith Coach of the Year:  1  (1994)
• NABC Coach of the Year:  1  (1994)
• SEC Coach of the Year:  1  (1998)
• Southwest Coach of the Year:  3  (1989, 1990, 1991)
• Missouri Valley Coach of the Year:  2  (1981, 1985)
• USBWA Most Courageous Award (1995)
• National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 2008)
• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 2014)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

2009-2011	Tulsa Shock
1985-2002	Arkansas
1981-1985	Tulsa
1978-1981	Western Texas College

Nolan Richardson Facts

• Nolan Richardson, Jr.
• Born December 27, 1941
• Hometown: El Paso, Texas
• Alma Mater: Texas Western College (BA, 1964)
• Played collegiately at Texas Western (now UTEP), where he was one of a group of players that helped breakdown the unofficial color barriers in major college basketball
  • Spent his junior and senior seasons playing under legendary head coach Don Haskins, who would go on to lead the Miners – with a completely African-American starting lineup – to win the 1966 NCAA National Championships
• Began his coaching career at Bowie High School in his hometown El Paso, Texas (1965-1978)
• First collegiate job was as the head coach for three seasons at Western Texas College
  • Won the National Junior College Championship with WTJC in 1980
• Moved up to Division I in 1981 when he was hired as the new head coach at Tulsa
  • Won 119 games, two Missouri Valley titles and two Missouri Valley Tournaments in five years; the Hurricanes also won the 1981 NIT title
• Hired as the head coach at Arkansas in 1985 and would coach the Razorbacks for seventeen seasons
  • Became the first African-American head coach of men’s program in the Southwest Conference in 1985
  • Led the Razorbacks to the Final Four in 1990, 1994 and 1995, winning the NCAA National Championship in 1994
  • Won seven-straight conference titles from 1989-95 (three SWC and four SEC); named Southwest COY three times and SEC COY once
  • Was dismissed towards the end of the 2001-02 season, following some controversy as Richardson had publicly challenged AD Frank Broyles to fire him; Richardson claimed that he was being mistreated due to his race
• Coached the Panama national team from 2005 to 2007; Richardson is fluent in Spanish
• Named the head coach and general manager of the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock in 2009; finished the first season 6-28 and then resigned midway through his second season after starting 1-10
• Along with his wife, Rose, had two children; along with three children from his first marriage

Nolan Richardson Coaching Tree

• Mike Anderson (Arkansas, Missouri, UAB)
• Ron Cottrell (Houston Baptist)
• Scott Edgar (Eastern Oklahoma St, Southeast Missouri St, Duquesne, Murray State)
• Darrell Hawkins (Prairie View A&M)
• Nolan Richardson III (Tennessee State)
• Andy Stoglin (Jackson State, Southern)

 

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only